Pressure regulator



-lllllli Oct. 25, 1938. R. w. LEUTWILER Er AL 2,134,257

PRESSURE REGULATOR Filed Feb. 15, 1936 lnlllllmllllii lllllllllllllllllllllm mlllllllllllllIlWMHHHH A .Rzl'ah ard W' Lanta/iler Y 1 William Eier/*171012 j i Anya@ Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PRESSURE REGULAToR I Richard w. Leutwiier, chicago, and william Eichholz, Cicero,

Ill., assignors to The Illinois Engineering Company, Chicago, Ill., 'a corporation of Illinois Application February 15, 193s, serial No. 63,989

f z claims. l This invention relates to operating means for diaphragm valves whereby such valves in addition i to their ordinary responsiveness to pressure fluctuations within a predetermined range, are 6 provided Withsupplementary actuating and control devices whereby the operating means is made additionally responsive to other factors, for instance temperature, as when the devices are used to control steam heating systems. l The objects of the invention are to provide improvements in pressure or flow controlling means for gaseousuids above, at, o r below atmospheric pressure tomaintain a fixed or fairly uniform pressure condition ofthe medium or temperature produced thereby on the low pressure si'de' irrespective of normal fluctuations in the supply pressure or rate of use. Further objects ofthe invention are to provide improvements in regulators, of the class mentioned whereby a spring loading I means may automatically pass from compression Ato tension'as required, according to variations in conditions such as the temperature conditions in the heated zone; still further purposes of the inhvention are to provide such devices with positive 'shut-olf means automatically operative upon predetermined temperature conditions in the heated zone.

The purposes of the invention means of a construction 3o drawing, wherein I Figure 1 shows in-elevation and partly in section the, complete improved regulator with a thermostatic control therefor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged'fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

' f The improvements'are carried out by combining with -a standard diaphragm yvalve pressure regulator, a spring loading means with operating mechanism for placing the spring under ccmar attained by as illustrated in the pression or `tension depending upon a remote control device such as a thermostat. The spring compressing and tensioning means is preferably operated by an electric motor connected thereto,

andswitches are 'associated with th'e spring corn- 4,5 pressingand tensioning mechanism to control andbe controlled by the latter, subject to separate .switches at a Aremote thermostat.

phragm 6,. The diaphragm 6 is centrally clamped to the rod 5 by the nuts 1, 3 and 9, the latter two 55 being threaded on a poslblll depending from eleyAir or other`: :motors andcontrol means may serve the purpose (Cl. Sil-23) ment 1. The diaphragm is perlplierally clamped between the castings IIand I2 by the "bolts I3. The casting II forms an extension of the valve body I and is hollow to provide communication between the space III above the diaphragm and the space I5 on the outlet or reduced pressure side of the valve body. Thus the diaphragm is subject on one side to the pressure in the low. pressure kside of the valve body, fand'on its opposite 'side' the diaphragm is subject to atmospheric pressure *plus or minus the effect of a spring I6. This spring is secured at its upper end by means of a pin I1 to the' hub'portion I8 of diaphragm clamping element 9. At its lower end the spring is attached by means of a'pin I9 to a collar or nut 29. The nut 20 has threaded engagement Witha screw 2| having bearings 22 and 23 in the lower end of casting I2. These bearings permit the screw to rotate while preventingit from shifting in an axial direction. The nut f20 is prevented from rotating by the projections 24 and 25 carried thereby, and which extend into slots 26 and 21 in-a spring housing tube 28.

An electric motor 29 is supported upon the lower end of casting I2 and is connected by enclosed worm gearing at 30 and the spur gearing 39 with screw 2 I.

Themotor is reversible so that it may drive switches 3l and 32 which are pivotally mountedon a panel 33 secured to the side of casting I2. The operation and direction of rotation `of the motor is dependent upon remote thermostaticswitches shownin diagram on a support 34, inFig. 1. I

The mercury switches 3| 'and 32 are supported in clips v screws 36. The.pivoted supports for the mercury switches are connected together by a spring 31 which normally holds each' of the'switches in its closed position. One switch is wired to the motor to drive it in one direction :and the other vswitch is wired to the motor to drive it ln the opposite direction but each of these-switches is incircuit with a thermostat or other remote control device. The thermostat may be constructed as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1, wherein the center contact 39 is connected by conductor- 49 with one side4 of the service line 4I.. Therevare two temperature responsive 'elements 42 and 4.3 in the thermostat which swing together to .right or left` under temperature changes and'one or the other, when movedvfar enough, contacts with the element 39 and thus completes the circuit/P 35 pivotally mounted yon panel 33 by y through one or the other of the switches 3| and 32 through the conductors 44 or 45. The switches are connected by conductors 4B and 41 with opposite sides of the motors. The common wire for the motors is indicated at 48.

y In some uses of the construction the contact i element 39, which has a contacting projection, is continuously and slowly rotated by an amature or electric motor 50 in order that Awhen a circuit for motor 29 is effective for driving the motor in one direction or the other that' instead of steadily moving the valves toward open or closed position, the movement will be intermittent or in increments over a comparatively long period. This timing may be,speeded up or slowed down to oiset the inherent lag in the system under control.

Whenever the nut 20 operated by the screw 2| moves down far enough to seat the valves, any slight excess-operation of the inotoi` results in compressing the cushion spring 5| between the nut and the cap 52 for tube 28. At extreme positions of the valves the motor circuit is opened byA the bent bar 53 carried by nut 20. This bar i in its extreme lower position it opens the' motor pheric pressure.

is in position to engage screws 5l and 55 on the mercury tube holders 35 and 38.

When the valves are in any oi' their intermediate positions the spring 31 retains each mercury contact element in position to close its respective motor circuit, but when bar 53 moves upto its extreme position it opens the circuit forA the motor in its valve opening direction and whenit'is circuit used for closing' the valve.

I In the operation of the regulator the thermo' stat'is set for the maintenance oi adesired temperature, which setting places the thermostat bars l2 and v43 in vertical position where they are clear of contact element 33. A change in y temperature results in one of these elements moving over into` position where it will be engaged by the rotating contact 39. Thus its respective circuit is closed through the corresponding mercury switch 3| or 32. Every time a contact is vmade the motor 29 is driven for a short interval.

.there is in the outletside of the valve body which pressure may be above or 4below atmos- In the above description the action of the regulator is described in connection with the control of ra heating system as it would be used for controlling the entire system, a zone thereof, or av single radiator, but this is only one of the func--y tions of the device, as it may be used for-diil'erent purposes and controlled either automatically or manually from any point remote from the valve.

While a singlemotor has been shown for oper- ,ating Vthe adjusting nui forthe spring of the reducing valve, in practice it issometimes desirable to use tw'o motors rather than `a single #-Qamctprof' the reversing type.

The motors' are then connected to drive in opposite 'directions and` the reduction .gearingwis made variable to' suit the speed'with which it is desired to move the adjusting nut 20.

The operation of the motor may be .controlled by either a manual switch, a thermostat vor other suitable type of automatic device so arrangedthat when the contact is made in one position the motor will rotate in one direction, -while when the switch is contacted` in anotherposition the motor will rotate in the opposite direction and when the switch is open the motor will stop.

By means of the arrangement illustrated, it is possible. to adjust the operating range of the pressure ,reducing valve on the reduced pressure side of 'the valve both above and below atmospherlc lpressure 4within the range of requirement of a'particular heating system.

The `mercury tube switches serve the purpose of limit switches which automatically open the' `motor circuit whenever the spring adjusting nut reaches a position in its travel either up or down from the central position within the safe range of mechanical operation of thespring controlledV 'by the nut. By loosening the screws 36 the limit switches may be adjusted toward and away `from each other and thus determine the maximum reduced pressure and the minimum reduced pressure under which the valve will operate, and these pressure limits can be provided for anywhere within the complete range of Vreduced pressures for which the device is constructed. It is also desirable under certain conditions to shut the f valve off completely and this may be done safely with the motor because of the cushioning spring below the spring adjusting nut. When the spring adjusting nut comes down on this cushioning spring it also acts as a stop for the cage surrounding the adjusting mechanism and thus positively prevents the valve from moving away from the seat. l

We claim: l,

1.l A regulator of the class-described including a valve body and a valve, a valve operating diaphragm connected with said valve, a support and housing for said diaphragm for transmitting the pressure on the low pressure side of said valve to one face of the diaphragm, a spring attached to "said diaphragm at one end, mechanism attached to the opposite end of the spring adjustable for varying the compression or tension of said spring, said mechanism including a nut to `which the spring is attached, means for preventingv rotation of saidnut, a rotating screw having threaded engagement with the nut, al tubular housing for said spring, said housing being aitached'atvone end to said diaphragm, a cushioning spring supported atthe opposite end of said housing and bearing against said nut, and means for driving said mechanism in opposite directions.

2. An automaticpressure regulator of the class described comprising' a oatingdiwphragm valve construction' including a diaphragm arranged to have its opposite sides exposed todiilerent presphragm, a4 spring adjusting;- mechanism, said spring being secured-at its ppposite end to said spring adjusting mechanism, a motor -fordriving said adjusting mechanism in a direction to compress said spring orin a direction to tension said spring, means engageable by said spring adjusting mechanism for positively closing the valve construction,v and a cushioning spring in position to' be engaged by Saidspring adjusting mechanism at theendof its movement in one direction.

' WILLIAMI`EICHHOLZ.

- sures, a spring secured at one end -to said dia- 

